地元のギャング団が歴史的な和解をしようとしている。
The local street gangs are on the verge of making a historic truce.
Read the explanation below to understand the nuance of how this grammar structure is used.
If you’re trying to figure out what this shit means, think of it like that tense-ass moment in The Wire or Boyz n the Hood right before the bullets start flying or the cops bust through the door. It means “something is just about to happen”. It’s all about that final countdown, right on the goddamn brink of the action.
The Nuance: Don’t Blink
This ain’t for things you plan on doing next week, and it ain’t for casual shit. ～ようとしている is formal, dramatic, and written with heavy-ass literary vibes. It describes a situation or a natural event that is right on the edge of kicking off. It’s the split second before the dominoes fall. You use this when the momentum is already rolling and there’s no stopping it.
The Metaphor: The Loaded Dice
Think of this grammar point like a pair of loaded dice that just left a hustler’s hand in a back-alley craps game. The dice are spinning through the air. They haven’t landed yet, so the outcome isn’t official, but the throw is already made. You can’t call it back. The universe is mid-motion, and shit is going to drop any second now. That mid-air spin? That’s ～ようとしている.
Check the blueprint below to see how we whip this grammar into shape.
| Form | How to Connect | Japanese Example | English Translation |
| Volitional Form + としている | Verb (Volitional Form) + としている | 撃とうとしている | He is just about to shoot. |
To lock this conjugation down, you gotta grab the Volitional Form (the “let’s do it” form) of your verb and slap としている right onto the end of it. For Group 1 (u-verbs), change that final u sound to an o sound and add u (e.g., kau becomes kaou). For Group 2 (ru-verbs), drop the ru and add you (e.g., miru becomes miyou). Irregular verbs do their usual weird shit: kuru becomes koyou, and suru becomes shiyou. Once you got that volitional look, drop としている after it, and boom—you’re talking about shit that’s right on the verge of popping off.
Read and master the example sentences below.
あの売人は警察の犬だとバレようとしている。
That dealer is right on the verge of being exposed as a snitch.
敵のギャングが縄張りに足を踏み入れようとしている。
The rival gang is about to step foot into our turf.
裁判でボスがすべてを白状しようとしている。
The boss is on the verge of confessing everything at the trial.
偽札の山がシュレッダーにかけられようとしている。
The mountain of counterfeit cash is just about to be tossed into the shredder.
裏切りの報酬が闇口座に振り込まれようとしている。
The payout for the betrayal is just about to be wired into the offshore account.
闇のオークションがまもなく始まろうとしている。
The black-market auction is just about to commence.
逃走車がガードレールを突き破ろうとしている。
The getaway car is about to smash straight through the guardrail.
マフィアのファミリーが崩壊しようとしている。
The mafia family is on the brink of total collapse.
証拠品がすべて灰になろうとしている。
The evidence is just about to turn completely into ashes.
裏社会のパワーバランスが大きく変わろうとしている。
The power balance of the underworld is about to shift drastically.
Stay dangerous.
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